Location: Aldinga Beach 45 kms south of Adelaide : Boat Dive - usually done from Aldinga beach.
Rating: Novice.
The Aldinga drop off is the edge of the Aldinga reef lying 1.5 kms off the Aldinga beach 30kms south of Glenelg. The reef drops away to 21m creating a spectacalar dive with a lot of over hangs hiding soft corals and many fish. The drop off is where the big schools of snapper stay when travelling north to their breeding grounds. When the snapper are running it is advisable not to dive this area as the snapper school is usually followed by the occasional white pointer shark. This is the area where Rodney Fox had his encounter with a white pointer.
Location: Aldinga Beach 45 kms south of Adelaide. Boat dive usually done from Aldinga Beach.
Rating: Novice.
Part of the Aldinga reef system closer in shore from the drop off..Spectacular dive with lots of swim throughs, overhangs, fish life and weed growth. The dive is in only 8m of water to an extended amount of time can be spent exploring the reef system, the overhangs and occasional cave. Visibility here is generally very good and swimming amongst rock pinnacles extending from the sea floor to just beneath the surface of the sea is very different to other SA dives.A great dive with no hazards.
Location: Glenelg 5 kms west of Glenelg. Boat Dive from Gleneig Boat Ramp.
Rating: Novice.
Broken bottom is again part of the old shore line and consists of a series of naturally formed rock piles spread over a large area 2kms north west of Glenelg in l0m of water. Fish life is sparse to prolific with no set pattern. If fish life is sparse you can investigate the rock piles,sea tulips and razor shells. The colours of the sponges and flora is exceptional. At other times the whole dive can be taken up swimming amongst vast schools of sea pike and silver drummer. Many spider crabs inhabit this area and occasional a rays and flat heads may be found.
The Vessel The HMAS Hobart was a Charles F. Adams class guided missile destroyer in the Royal Australia Navy (DDG 39), built in the United States of America and commissioned in 1965 in Boston. Her role was air defence of the fleet. Tours of duty HMAS Hobart completed three tours of duty off Vietnam in 1967, 1968 and 1970. In 1968, two sailors lost their lives and seven others were injured after the vessel was hit by "friendly" fire. In 1988 HMAS Hobart participated in the Hobart Bicentennial Australia Day Celebrations. Class of ship An improved Charles F. Adams class guided missile destroyer whose main role was air defence of the Fleet. The design of ships of this class was particularly versatile and she had anti-submarine and surface gunnery capabilities. Dimensions Length 437 feet (133.2 metres) Beam (width) 47 feet (14.3 metres) Displacement 4,720 tonnes Complement 20 Officers 312 Sailors Design and building Keel laid October 26, 1962. Launched January 9, 1964 by Mrs David Hay, wife of the then Australian Ambassador to the United Nations. Commissioned December 18, 1965 at Boston. Built by Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, Michigan - the second of three guided missile destroyers built for the Royal Australian Navy. Armament TARTAR guided missile (single rail launcher), two 5"/54 calibre rapid fire fully automatic guns (in single turrets). Anti-submarine torpedoes (two triple mounts). IKARA, Australian designed and built long-range anti-submarine weapon (fitted in Australia). Propulsion Speeds in excess of 30 knots were obtained from geared steam turbines on two shafts. Command facilities The latest concepts in long range sonar, radar, communication and electronic equipment provided the Command with the necessary up-to-date information in the Operations Room. Accommodation All living spaces were air-conditioned. Amenities included regular movie shows, internal news and broadcasting services, free laundry, a canteen stocked with a wide variety of goods and all the latest facilities expected of modern day ships. Cost Purchased by Australia from the United States of America for US$45,000,000 including spare parts, stores, ammunition etc.
The Glenelg Barge is a hopper barge used by the Glenelg Dredge to take the silt dredged up from the Port River and dump it further out to sea. She was sunk in 1984 as an artificial reef and lies in 20m of water. A star dropper trail has been set up to enable divers to travel from the barge to the dredge and vice versa in times of low current.The barge is a very interesting wreck with a wide variety of fish. Divers can swim its 30m length with ease. At either end there is a small opening where divers can penetrate into the work rooms. In these rooms on each side of the hoppers is the entrance to the flotation chambers and divers may peer into them. Divers may be tempted to attempt a penetration and it can be done as long as the divers are properly prepared with lines, torches etc.The entrance to each chamber is very restricted. This penetration is not recommended. The main hazards are rusting metal, silting and restricted entrances to the penetrations.
Location: Glenelg 5 kms west of Adelaide. Boat Dive from Glenelg Boat Ramp Rating: novice. The Glenelg lyre reef Is a series of tyre tetrahedrons, set down as an artificial reef. Set up in 1983, 5kms west of Glenelg, 500m south east of the barge in 18m of water. As a fish breeding ground it has been very successful with large quantities of whiting, bullseyes, strongies, silver dimmer, old wives and spider crabs. The main hazard is getting loose regs and gauges caught in tyre straps. Recommended bottom time 35 mins.
Location: 4 kms of West Beach. Boat dive from Glenelg. Man made reef approx. 4kms offshore from West Beach. Made up of a series of squares of squares of old tyres tad down by the Fisheries Dept in the late 75. The tyres lie in 18m of water and over the years the squares have split up and spread the tyres over a large area. The dive is interesting with a wide variety of life. In winter it is an excellent whiting ground. Other fish life includes: Old Wives, Strongies, Leather Jackets, Cuttle Fish and occasionally Blue Devils The dive is not as good as the Glenelg Tyre reef as the tyres are a lot more spread out and the area is difficult to locate, but you are assured of plentiful fish life.
This wreck sank during a storm around 1910 and is in the outer shipping channel to Outer Harbour, The wreck is 15kms offshore from North Haven and lies in 18m.of water. It is now nearly completely broken up with only the bow section recognisable sticking out of the sand pointing west. The wreck is extremely difficuft to locate as land marks are almost impossible to find and a reliable GPS bearing is needed. Marine life around the wreck varies from prolific to almost barren depending on the day. Visiblity is generally fairly good due to the distance offshore, but it is subject to tidal currents which can be strong.
Location: Second valley 90 kms from Adelaide. Shore dive
Rating: Novice to Advanced.
Entry from small beach near jetty carpark. Head north from centre of beach for approx. 300 metres. It is a 50m diameter dome shaped reef. Wide range of residents including the elusive leafy sea dragon. The site is very exposed and not diveable with a big swell. Other shore dives in the area are behind the boat sheds in Second Valley (north west) and small caves west of boat sheds. The jetty is used extensively as an open water training site.
Location: Glenelg 2.5 kms west of Adelaide. Boat Dive from Glenelg Boat Ramp.
Rating: Novice.
Commonly known as leather jacket alley. This dive site is approx. 2kms north west of Glenelg in 10m of water and consists of a series of naturally formed gutters inhabited by a wide variety of fish and aquatic flora including sea tulips. The fish can be hand fed and on occasions great schools of sea pike visit the area, forming a seemingly impenetrable wall of fish which is quite spectacular.
Location: Glenelg 5 kms west of Adelaide. Boat Dive from Glenelg Boat ramp
Rating: Novice.
Named after the finder who was a milkman. Milkies is a reef running north south 4.5 kms south~ west of Glenelg in 17m of water. Spider crabs abound and there are numerous blue devils, cuttle fish, strongies, silver drummer and the occasional crayfish. At times it is the best local dive around because of the variety of fish life. Very few divers visit this area. There are no hazards except tidal currents.
Location: Glenelg 5 kms west of Adelaide. Boat Dive from Glenelg Boat ramp
Rating: Novice.
Named after the finder who was a milkman. Milkies is a reef running north south 4.5 kms south~ west of Glenelg in 17m of water. Spider crabs abound and there are numerous blue devils, cuttle fish, strongies, silver drummer and the occasional crayfish. At times it is the best local dive around because of the variety of fish life. Very few divers visit this area. There are no hazards except tidal currents.
Sitting in around 20 metres of water, the Seawolf is one of SA's newest shipwrecks. Sunk in 2001, it makes an intresting dive to see the marine lif eforming. Can be penetrated quite easily, and can also be combined with the Lumb in the same dive to make an interesting swim around.
Location: Noarlunga Beach 25 kms south of Adelaide, Boat Dive,
Rating: Novice
Noarlunga tyre reef lies 2.5 kms west of the Noarlunga jetty in 18m. An artificial reef set up to attract fish for breeding purposes. The tyres have started to spread out across the sea floor, but the dive is still very pleasant with a lot of fish. There are no hazards.
The NORMA was a steel 3 masted vessel that capsized and sank in the main shipping channel of Outer Harbour in The early 1900s. The wreck lies 4kms offshore from North Haven in 16m of water and is subject to strong tidal currents. When the Norma sank it settled upright on the bottom and had its masts just below the surface. At high tide this caused a Shipping hazzard and authorities decided to blow It up. Now the wreck of the Norma is spread out over quite a large area and is very difficuft to discern as a wreck. It consists of a large area of twisted metal lying on the bottom. The bow area is still recogniseable and acts as a marine haven for fish. The remains are very interesting, Penetration is not recommended. The fish life is prolific The bow area is also home to a 2.5m wobbegong. If diving the Norma be aware it is still in the shipping channel and it is unwise to leave your dive vessel without surface support as LARGE ships still use the channel.
See Port Noarlunga from the other side of the reef, and experience this great dive from a totally different perspective. Starting at the Gap in the reef, drop to 20 metres and then swim along the outer reef and visit the Blue Devils, reef sharks and maybe the occasional dolphin.
Location: Noarlunga Beach 25 kms South of Adelaide. Shore Dive:
Rating: Novice
Inside Reef and Advanced outside of reef. Excellent snorkelling. Over 200 species of marine plants and animals, over 73 types of fish, bryozoans, sponges, hydroids, ascidians and molluscs. Port Noarlunga Aquatic Trail with 12 markers starts next to seaward end of jetty and travels south along inside of reef through the gap and then north along the outside of the reef. Excellent for novices. Caution should be taken as there is a strong current when high tide and low tide have a difference of over one metre. Check tide charts carefully.
Rapid Bay Location: 95 kms south of Adelaide. Jetty dive.
Rating: Novice plus great snorkelling.
Enter from shore next to jetty. The jetty is 470m long with a 200m T section. Expect a large variety of fish and a vast array of marine life. Once described by Reg Lipson as 'one of the best jetty dives in Australia', Caution, it's a long swim and a rocky shore exit.
Rapid Head Access to this site is by beach launch at Rapid Bay or boat ramp at Cape Jervis or Wirrinna Cove. Great reefs and caves with plenty of sea grass camouflaging a vast array of marine life. Large variety of fish, leafy sea dragons and blue devils.
Location: Seacliff 10 kms west of Adelaide. Boat Dive from Glenelg Boat ramp or O'Sullivans Beach Boat Ramp.
Rating: Novice.
To many a diver, this site is the best local site due to the abundance of fish and its relatively shallow depth. Seacliff reef is part of the old shore line from about 10,000 years ago. It is a reef approx.1 metre high of the sand. It travels in a north south direction as a half moon shape and is home to literally thousands of fish, including the greatest number of large blue devils in the metropolitan area. A whole dive can easily be taken up by sitting on the bottom feeding the fish and not moving more than a few metres. On top of the reef in numerous places, the leafy sea dragon can be seen. This rare creature is native to southern waters and is very hard to distinguish from a piece of sea weed. The depth of the reef varies from 12m to15m without any hazards.
Location:O'Sulllven beach. : Approximately 5 kms west of Port Stanvac Oil refinery from O'Sullivans Beach beach boat ramp.
Rating: Advanced.
There are 3 barges at this site, one is 163x29 and the two measure 71 x 49. To really see this sight, you need to anchor in the right spot. At 28m this is an advanced dive and bottom time is restricted. The barges form an artificial reef on an otherwise sandy bottom. Plenty of fish there. On calm days small hammerhead sharks sunbake on the surface.
Stanvac Dump is exactly that, an dumping ground for the old Stanvac Oil Refinery. Here you wil find stuff spread out all over the plave including cabling, old bits of metal and lots of interesting objects that make great homes for marine life. The dive is only shallow, not even ten metres, so there is heaps of time to explore. It is rated as an advance dive as there is lots of hazards.
A shallow set of cement blocks, used as a mooring system for early ships coming into Adelaide. Located 1/2 a kilometre from shore, it is an easy dive with plenty of area to cover. Look out for Wobegong Sharks and the occasional visit from local dolphins.
The bluff, although sometimes quite difficult to get to with the weather, is an excellent dive under the right conditions. Expect to see weedy sea dragons, huge diversities of soft corals and you may even be lucky enough to get buzzed by a member of the local seal population.
The Dredge is the wreck of the South Australian. A sand dredge used to suction sand from the Port River. It is a purposely sunk wreck 30m long laying upright in 20m water. The deck area is at 14m. The site has prolific fish life and is home to many a cuttlefish in season.
Location: Noarlunga 25 kms South of Adelaide : Boat Dive from O'Sullivans Beach Boat ramp Rating: Novice. The Lumb is a new wreck sunk in 1994 specifically as a dive site by the SA dive industry. She lies upright on the bottom 30 m west of the Noarlunga tyre reef in 20m of water 2.5 kms west of Noarlunga jetty. The Lumb started life as a tug working in Tasmania before being used at Port Lincoln. She was refitted as a fishing trawler and used to fish for tuna. At the end of her life she was purchased by the dive industry. She was cleaned up and holes were cut in her deck and she was sunk as a dive site. Penetrations are easy and safe as holes were cut allowing easy safe penetration. The main hazard is grease on the wreck and some loose cabling plus some sharp edged metal. Recommended bottom time 35 mins.
This shallow reef system makes an awesome dive, with heaps of fish to see. Not many divers get out here, so the fish are curious and swim up to see you. Expect to see Port Jackson Sharks, Blue Devils and schools of bullseyes. A easy dive with heaps to see, open to all divers.
